Input device in a motor vehicle and passenger classification method

ABSTRACT

An input device in a vehicle and a method for occupant classification, in which an input regarding occupant classification is requested from the driver or some other user. This input is compared with an automatically produced occupant classification, and depending on this comparison a warning is issued, an occupant classification is communicated to the control unit for restraining devices, and/or a new input is requested.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an input device in a vehicle and amethod of occupant classification.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The input device in a vehicle according to the exemplary embodimentand/or exemplary method of the present invention for occupantclassification may have the advantage that the automatic occupantclassification is improved and optimized by an input from the user. Thisenables an object or an occupant on a particular vehicle seat to bebetter protected. It is designed to prevent erroneous classifications bythe interior sensing system. The data entered by the driver is stored inthe control unit. The possibility of inputting the information about theoccupant classification is combined here with an occupant classificationsystem.

If the interior sensing or occupant classification system recognizesthat there is an object on the particular seat, for example via seatoccupancy recognition by a seat mat, the driver is asked to inputcertain information. If this input is provided by the driver, theoccupant classification system only checks the plausibility of theinput, and may issue a warning that the input is not plausible. However,it is also possible for the driver's input to be used to check theplausibility of the occupant classification produced with the occupantclassification system.

The exemplary input device according to the present invention iscombinable with a control unit for restraining devices, to which theoccupant classification is transmitted, so that adaptive activation ofthe restraining devices may be provided in the event of a crash.

Depending on the comparison of the entered occupant classification andthe automatically determined occupant classification, another requestfor input may be issued, since an erroneous input has presumably beenmade. But if the input was recognized as plausible, a third occupantclassification derived from the entered occupant classification and theautomatically determined occupant classification is communicated to thecontrol unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the input device according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of the exemplary method for occupantclassification according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Increasingly there is intent to introduce an occupant classificationsystem in vehicles, in order to enable adaptive activation of therestraining devices. This is intended to prevent unnecessarydeployments, but also to reduce the risk of injury occurring fromrestraining devices such as airbags.

According to the exemplary embodiment and/or exemplary method of thepresent invention, the driver for example is now also asked to inputinformation for occupant classification. This is intended in particularto prevent erroneous classifications by the interior sensing system. Theuser's input is simplified by appropriate supporting information. Forexample, a display shows what classes the user may enter.

One possibility is to define four classes. Class 1 covers a child seatand persons weighing up to 30 kg. The result of this is that an airbagis not deployed for this seat. Class 2 covers persons weighing 30-60 kg.Here a light airbag is deployed. Class 3 covers persons weighing 60-90kg. Here a standard airbag is deployed. The fourth and last class coverspersons over 90 kg. Here a powerful airbag is needed. The user willtherefore specify one of the four classes, in order to classify theoccupants on the individual seats. This has the advantage that it makesexact determination of the occupant possible, so that erroneousidentifications are avoided.

The information that the driver must enter may also be made up of theinformation “Airbag on” or “Airbag off,” but more detailed informationabout the exact weight class as indicated above is also possible. Acomparison of the entered class and the class determined automaticallyusing the occupant classification system makes it possible to check theplausibility of the input. If a user specifies Class 1 and the occupantclassification system also detects Class 1, then plausibility exists andClass 1 is communicated to a control unit as the occupantclassification. If a user specifies Class 1 but the occupantclassification system detects Class 2, then plausibility does not exist;but Class 1 is communicated to the control unit, since Class 1 is themost sensitive class, i.e., the one that precludes deployment of anairbag. The same is also true if the occupant classification systemdetects Class 3 or 4.

However, if a user specifies Class 2 and the occupant classificationsystem detects Class 1, then plausibility also does not exist; but inthis case Class 2 is accepted and communicated to the control unit,since the user did not choose Class 1, i.e., the class that means“Airbag off.” The same applies to the automatically detected Classes 2,3 and 4.

However, if a user specifies Class 3 and the occupant classificationsystem detects Class 1, then here too priority is given to the input andClass 3 is communicated. The same applies to all other classes detectedby the occupant classification system. The case is exactly the same whenClass 4 is entered. The classification “Airbag on” or “Airbag off” alsogives priority to the input. A combination of the classifications“Airbag off” and “Airbag on” also gives priority to the input, Class 1always being detected in the case of “Airbag off,” and in the case of“Airbag on” at least Class 2 is detected, and otherwise the classdetected by the automatic occupant classification system.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the input device according to thepresent invention. An input device 1, which may have tactile input oracoustic input, is connected to a signal processor 2, which processesthe inputs to input device 1. These processed signals from the inputdevice are then communicated to a processor 3. Processor 3 is connectedvia a first data output to a signal processor 4, which drives a display5 having a display field 6. Processor 3 is connected via a second dataoutput to an audio control 7, which controls a speaker 8. Via a thirddata output processor 3 is connected to an airbag control unit 10, inorder to communicate the detected occupant classification to controlunit 10. Via a data input/output unit, processor 3 is connected to anoccupant classification system 9, which has sensors in the individualseats or in the interior of the passenger compartment in order to detectthe individual objects on the seats. Alternatively, the processor 3 maybe integrated into airbag control unit 10.

The flow chart in FIG. 2 explains the exemplary method according to thepresent invention. In method step 11 the input device is turned on. Inmethod step 12 control unit 10 is initialized with Class 1 for theindividual seats, so that no airbag is activated. In method step 13occupant classification system 9 is queried as to whether the individualseats are occupied. Processor 3 carries out this procedure according tothe exemplary method of the present invention. If none of the seats isoccupied, the procedure jumps back to method step 12. However, if it wasdetermined in method step 13 that at least one of the seats is occupied,then in method step 14 Class 2 is assumed for the occupied seat, i.e.,that the seat is occupied and will receive minimal protection. This iscommunicated to airbag control unit 10. A recursion counter n is resetto zero in method step 14.

In method step 15 an input request is sent to the driver. Display 5 andalso speaker 8 are used for this purpose. In method step 16 there is aspecified wait period to see whether the driver will make an entry. Inmethod step 17 a check is then performed after this time period haselapsed to see whether the input was made. If this input was made, theprocedure jumps ahead to method step 23. In method step 23 the enteredclass is stored. In method step 24 the class determined by the occupantclassification system is queried. In method step 25 the comparison ofthe entered class and the class determined by occupant classificationsystem 9 is performed. The result of the comparison is the plausibility,as explained above.

If plausibility was not detected, in method step 27 a warning signal isissued, for example using speaker 8. In method step 28 the recursioncounter is incremented. In method step 29 the entered class iscommunicated to the airbag control unit. In method step 30 the occupantclassification system is queried, and in method step 31 it is determinedwhether the particular seat is occupied. If the seat is occupied, theprocedure jumps back to method step 15. If the seat is not occupied, theprocedure jumps back to method step 12.

However, if it was determined in method step 17 that no input was made,then in method step 18 a warning signal is issued. In method step 19 theclassification by occupant classification system 9 takes place. Inmethod step 20 the class so determined is defined as the class to beused further. In method step 21 this class is communicated to controlunit 10. In method step 22 a check is performed to determine whether theseat is occupied. If so, the procedure jumps back to method step 21; ifnot, it jumps to method step 12.

If it was determined in method step 25 that the entered class and theclass determined by occupant classification system 9 are plausible, theprocedure jumps to method step 26. The class to be transmitted tocontrol unit 10 is decided from the entered class and the determinedclass, as described above. The procedure then jumps to method step 21,in order to communicate this determined class to airbag control unit 10.

1-5. (Canceled).
 6. An input device for a vehicle, comprising: an inputarrangement connectable to at least one of a display and a speaker whichrequest an input via the input arrangement as to a first occupantclassification for at least one seat; and an occupant classificationsystem connected to the input device to automatically make a secondoccupant classification, the input being comparable with anautomatically produced second occupant classification.
 7. The inputdevice of claim 6, wherein the input device is connectable to a controlunit for a restraining device, to which one of: (i) an occupantclassification for the at least one seat, and (ii) a classificationderived from the occupant classification, is transmitted.
 8. The inputdevice of claim 7, wherein the occupant classification is entered orautomatically determined.
 9. A method for occupant classification, themethod comprising: requesting a user to input an entry for a firstoccupant classification for the at least one seat; automaticallydetermining a second occupant classification with an occupantclassification system; and comparing the input with the automaticallydetermined second occupant classification.
 10. The method of claim 9,further comprising: issuing a warning depending on at least one of theinput and the comparison.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein dependingon the comparison, one of the following is performed: (i) issuing a newrequest for input; and (ii) transmitting a third occupantclassification, which is derived from the first occupant classificationand the second occupant classification, to a control unit.
 12. Themethod of claim 11, further comprising: issuing a warning depending onat least one of the input and the comparison.